We're Off To Mongolia In A '92 Starlet And Need Advice

[Mongolia in a Micra]

Me and a mate head off to Mongolia in July as part of this years Mongol rally and are currently trying to prep our car. We've bought a 1992 Starlet 108,000 miles on the clock, FSH, the downside is that it smokes a bit. Wondered if anyone had any views about how liable it was to conk out on the 8,000 mile trek. It does get pretty hot on the route we're taking and we do go across a couple of desserts so it has got to be reliable.

Secondly we have been advised to get skid pans put under the sump and the exhausts back box - anyone know if pre made panels are available?

Finally - another piece of advice was to beef up our suspension with stronger springs and suggested lifting some from a van. Anyone know of the interchanability of suspension?

We're doing this for charity and are trying to keep costs down so any wheezes or bodges much appreciated.

Cheeck out the website for more info: http://mongoliainamicra.blogspot.com/

[Wild]

Just make sure it's serviced up nicely. Toyotas are good for a few more miles than 108k. ;)

Smoke might be turbo so might be an idea to invest 100£ish in good one just to be sure.

Not sure about lifting it, perhaps you could use suspension from a heavier car sharing the same chassis.. IE paseo.

It'll be made to hold a heavier cart so may bring the starlet up a bit.

Skid pans would be expensive if even available I would think, so knocking up some might be a cheaper option.

Hope this helps a bit mate. :)

[toyotasera.co.uk]

Skid plates - not available, make some up from moderately thick aluminium - quite strong but much lighter than equivalent steel thickness.

Smoke is unlikley to be a turbo problem - looking at their website it shows that the Starlet isn't a turbo version. Depending on the smoke its either piston rings or valve guides.

Best to invest in an oil change and possibly changing all belts.

Would be useful to take some spares - eg brake pads, spare belts and filters and enough tools. You may have to get your hands dirty so knowing your way around the car would be useful. Take a box of useful bits of pipes, hoseclips, assorted nuts, bolts and screws, bits of hose, gaffer tape and so on!

[Mongolia in a Micra]

Skid plates - not available, make some up from moderately thick aluminium - quite strong but much lighter than equivalent steel thickness.

Smoke is unlikley to be a turbo problem - looking at their website it shows that the Starlet isn't a turbo version. Depending on the smoke its either piston rings or valve guides.

Best to invest in an oil change and possibly changing all belts.

Would be useful to take some spares - eg brake pads, spare belts and filters and enough tools. You may have to get your hands dirty so knowing your way around the car would be useful. Take a box of useful bits of pipes, hoseclips, assorted nuts, bolts and screws, bits of hose, gaffer tape and so on!

Thanks for all the advice. Really appreciated. We're actually struggling to pick up bits like spare wheels and so on. Any advice on where we can get decent second hand bits like wheels, Roof Rack etc. Rang round loads of scrappies but without success.

[Damo_Starlet]

Im surprised you cant get 2nd hand wheels from a scrappy...as for a Roof Rack...there were a couple on eBay a little while back...not to expensive so you should take a quick look on there.

[jonnysideways]

my sister has a starlet wit nearly 200,000 miles, still runing no a bother. all they really need is oil they love burning it other than that it should make it, maybe bring c.v. boths there common to go n easy to fix must put pics of that starlet up she hasn't serviced it in bout 25,000 miles. all she does is put oil n petrol into it...

toyota are the best built cars in the world